Bontrager frame sizing

Geoff

Senior Retro Guru
Just wondered if any of you educated gents could help me out on this one... I've been looking at a couple of Bontys lately (always wanted one, never got one, sort of forgot about it, then wanted one again) but I'm a little unsure on what size would be best for me.

I ride an 18" Kona and have measured standover height/top tube length etc on that so have an idea of what I want, but don't know if a 17" or a 19" would suit me best. On the Kona I could possibly do with a slightly longer top tube (maybe) but I've tried my buddy's 19" Kilauea and there isn't enough standover height for me to feel comfortable offroad. I'm tall sitting down, I just don't get much taller when I stand up... :LOL:

Thanks for your help...
 
I've never had a Bontrager, but my impression is that their c-c seat-tube was if anything higher than a Kona for any given top tube length, especially after Kona lengthened their frames in 95 (or was it 96?).

KHS used to make quite long frames relative to c-c, Voodoo also but were maybe more similar to Kona.
 
I'm an 18" Kona kind of guy and I never got on with Bonty's, I think it's because of the short top tubes although on paper a Large should fit me :?:

If your the same as me you may find the Medium too small and the Large feels cumbersome to ride - a 19" Kona feels the same for me. Having tried both I had to admit that Bonty frames are not for me :cry:
 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Classic-Bontrager ... dZViewItem

If this is a size 17 as stated, the picture implies that Bontrager sizing was c-c, in contrast to Kona c-t(st). So roughly speaking a Bonty size 17 had as high a top tube as a Kona size 20. But Lid's geometry chart shows that a Bonty 17 had a rather shorter top tube than a Kona 20, so Kona sounds like a better bet for a long-torsoed person.
 
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Hmm, according to the specs a medium still has a top tube length of 22.6" which is about the same as my Kona isn't it? Standover is given as 28.9 for medium and 29.8 for a large. Is this measured as literally the top of the top tube to the ground or from some point a certain amount above the top tube? Haven't found accurate geometry details for my Kona, the nearest I've found is for the 2005 Explosif... :?:
 
I'm 6' and had a 19" XL Bonty Race for a while. Felt a little big so moved ot on.

Now have a 17" L Race which feels spot on. Prefer MTBs on the small size anyhow.

If you find a spare early race lite in L on your travels let me know ;)
 
Anthony":2motaia8 said:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Classic-Bontrager-Steel-Hardtail-MTB-17-Frame_W0QQitemZ320179081362QQihZ011QQcategoryZ22679QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If this is a size 17 as stated, the picture implies that Bontrager sizing was c-c, in contrast to Kona c-t(st). So roughly speaking a Bonty size 17 had as high a top tube as a Kona size 20. But Lid's geometry chart shows that a Bonty 17 had a rather shorter top tube than a Kona 20, so Kona sounds like a better bet for a long-torsoed person.
shame the heads not on that post anymore
 
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